Lights Out and Away We Go

By Susan Williams

After two years of canceled races thanks to Covid-19 restrictions, the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix is back for its iconic night race this year. The action-packed weekend begins on Friday, September 30, with the race taking place on October 2. Tickets sold out in the blink of an eye, illustrating the demand for live motorsport in Singapore!

The loud, fast-paced race is, of course, the star of the show. But for some fans, the offtrack entertainment is just as important. Some of the musical acts performing this year include Marshmello, Westlife, Green Day, Black Eyed Peas, The Kid LAROI, TLC, and Suede. The threeday race weekend will include over 100 hours of entertainment throughout the Circuit Park, including 92 performances across nine stages, 79 roving acts as well as an array of art installations and activities to enthrall crowds.

New to the Marina Bay Street Circuit this year is the all-female single-seater racing championship W Series, and one of Asia’s most competitive GT Series, the TSS The Super Series. Singapore will host the seventh round of the 2022 season, which is currently led by reigning double champion, Jamie Chadwick of Jenner Racing. The 24-year-old Briton has won the first five races of W Series’ record 10-race 2022 campaign.

Jaime Chadwick, reigning W Series champion

TSS The Super Series, the biggest domestic racing series in Thailand, is racing in Singapore for the first time, features an exciting mix of GT3/ GTM and GTC supercars. Spectators can expect to see the likes of Toyota, Lexus, Audi, Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes AMG, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Ford Mustang on the streets of the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

The Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix is in its thirteenth year and was Formula 1’s first night race. The street circuit runs 5.063km (3.146 miles), with a race distance of 308.843km (191.9 miles) over 61 laps. Despite the circuit’s 23 turns, cars typically reach a maximum speed of approximately 320km/h (199mph) between turns six and seven, which is immediately followed by a 5.1G deceleration into turn seven. The race has had only four drivers take the top spot in 12 years, three of whom will be racing this year – Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton. Nico Rosberg is the fourth, who has since retired.

Sebastian Vettel, winner of the 2019 race, celebrates

Leading in the driver standings is Max Verstappen of Red Bull, followed by Charles Leclerc of Ferrari. We’ve seen the two duke it out over the course of the season, and Singapore should be no different. Will Verstappen and Leclerc continue to dominate the front row? Will Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes continue their comeback and take first place? Will Sebastian Vettel, in his final Singapore race, be able to defend his title? Will anyone be able to beat Kevin Magnussen’s track record of 1:41.905, set in 2018? We’ll just have to wait until the end of September to see! I, for one, cannot wait.

For more on the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2022, visit the official website at www.singaporegp.sg.

Post-race fireworks over Marina Bay